Pilgrimage

The first Pilgrimage of The Order occurred in LY 406. It was organized by Archibald, the first bishop of Monab. This came two years after the founding of Monab, and the official organization of spirit-talkers into the Order. The Pilgrimage is an annual religious event, which lasts throughout the month of Su'gin. During this time, spirit-talkers (mostly bishops and vice-bishops) from villages all over The Land, meet in Monab, to compare notes, work on additions to the O'Gas, engage in spiritual retreats and personal meditation, and generally reaffirm their faith in God and celebrate the founding of the Order and the village of Monab in 404. It's also a chance for them to reconnect with friends and colleagues they may not have seen since the previous year's pilgrimage (though since the Coming of the Order and the introduction of t-mail, it's become possible to stay in touch without meeting in person). In addition to the meetings in Archibald Hall, there may be any number of less formal gatherings throughout the village, over the course of the month.

In LY 902, Therman, Bishop of Plist, founded the Protestant Movement, in Su'yet of that year. He had invited spirit-talkers from around the Land to attend discussions with him, which ended up lasting throughout much of the month. Later on, those meetings would be retroactively referred to as the first Protestant Pilgrimage, and in the following years, it would become an annual event, every Su'yet, with Protestant spirit-talkers traveling to Plist much as those of the Order traveled to Monab each Su'gin. In 903, the second Protestant Pilgrimage was tragically cut short by the Battle of Plist, in which Therman and many of his supporters were killed. This may not have been entirely unjustified, as the Protestants were accused by the Order of using their pilgrimage to make war plans. Whether or not this accusation was true, in the years since then the Protestant Pilgrimage has continued without incident.

It should be noted that both denominations, the Order (also known as Orthodoxy) and Protestants, as well as Independents, share a single religious text, the O'Gas, which may be updated by spirit-talkers of any denomination. It is common for representatives of each denomination to attend the other's Pilgrimage, and communication may also take place at any time of year. Also, since 913, there has been some talk of possibly consolidating the Orthodox and Protestant pilgrimages, and moving them to the now-sovereign village of Sorret. However, there is a great deal of opposition to this idea, especially from members of the Order.